gfxCardStatus
gfxCardStatus is a lightweight menu bar utility for MacBook Pro users that displays which graphics processor is currently active—the integrated Intel GPU or the discrete graphics card. It allows users to switch between integrated and discrete graphics to balance performance and battery life. The app is free and donationware, designed to give users visibility and control over GPU selection on dual-GPU MacBook Pro models from the Intel era.
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1 suggestiongfxCardStatus has been discontinued by its developer and is no longer maintained. The app reached its final version (2.5) years ago and there is no native Apple Silicon build. More importantly, gfxCardStatus was designed specifically for Intel-era MacBook Pro models with switchable discrete graphics cards—a feature that no longer exists on Apple Silicon Macs, which use a unified GPU architecture. Even if a native version were released, the app would have no practical function on modern M-series MacBook Pros. The Intel build will stop working entirely when Apple removes Rosetta 2 in macOS 28 (late 2027). If you are using an older Intel MacBook Pro and rely on GPU switching, gfxCardStatus will continue to work under Rosetta until that deadline. If you have recently upgraded to an Apple Silicon Mac, you do not need gfxCardStatus—GPU switching is handled automatically by macOS, and there is no user-facing control available or needed.
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